Improvement in drilling-jacks



q size for a given use of the drill. tablishments, such as the repair-shops of railgun-me STATES PATENT Orrrcn ienonen w. METGALF AN HENRY W. REGAN, OF RENOVO, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN DRILLING-JACKS- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,506, dated August 25, 1874; application filed I August 3, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE W. METGALF This invention relates to means for applying ratchet-drills in the various positions and l0- -.cations in which they must be used c The device which has been employed previous to our invention for this purpose is a simple metallic knee, of the proper shape and In large esways, for instance, a very great number of these knees have been required in order to provide the different lengths and angles demanded. .I

The common practice has been, when a slight variation of the knee or jack has been wanted, in order to drill ata peculiar angle,

to have the knee bent by the blacksmith to the desired shape. Then the nexttime this knee is called into use, if the hole be drilled in a different line, the 'knee must necessarily be altered again. This results in a great waste of time and labor, besides the inconvenience of selecting and changing knees or jacks for every drilling operation.

The present invention consists in a compound knee or jack, adapted to be readily adjusted to any required length or shape, so as to apply a ratchet-drill in any desired position, and so as to drill a hole at any given angle or inclination.

The improved jack consists of a pair of angle-bars or knees, having longitudinal slots in their respective members, and united by one or more clamp-bolts, and provided with an adjustablebearing-block or step, with or without a supplemental bearing-block or step, to constitute a fastener when not otherwise in use, as hereinafter set forth. 1

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 i a perspective view of this improved drilling- I jack in horizontal position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same differently adjusted, illustrating by dotted lines one mode of attachin g the jack, and the application of a ratchetdrill thereby. Fig. 3 is a side view, representing the j ack at another adjustment. Fig. 4 is a front elevation, representing the improved jack as adjusted to drill .at an angle. Fig. 5 is aside elevation, illustrating another adjustment of the jack. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the clamp-screw. Fig. 7 is a perspective view'of the main bearing-block or step. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the supplemental bearipgblock or fastener. I

The primary parts of this improved drillingjack are two angle-bars or knees, K K of fiat iron or steel, of sufficient thickness or section to resist bending by the ordinary strain of drilling. These knees are preferably of L form, and may be identical in size and shape, as in the illustration, or they may be different, if preferred.

In order to provide for uniting these knees in different positionsor forms, and for attaching the jack to the work or to any convenient fixed object, W, Fig. 2, in an adjustable manner, and for attaching and adjusting abearingblock or step, B, each member of each of the knees K K is slotted longitudinally in planes parallel to the sides or edges of the knees, as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 1.

In order to adjust the jack as to length or width, as the casemay be, the knees K K are united by a clamp-bolt, U, passing through the longitudinal slots in two adjoining members of the knees, and provided with a nut, 41., and one or more washers, w, as illustrated. The clamp-bolt O is, by preference, constructed with a short square, 0, on its shank, and a cylindrical shank-section, beyond this, as shown in Fig. 6, so as to facilitate operating the clamping-nut without preventing turning the knees on the bolt as a pivot, which is sometimes required, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

In order to drill holes at difierent angles, thesquare c on the bolt-shank extends through but one thickness of the knees, and the cylindrical shank-section c occupies the slot in the adjoining member. The jack may be attached and securely held, by an ordinary clamp, 0 such as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the same passing through the slot in that member, which is, for the time being, the base of the jack, as in the illustration; or the jack may be attached so as to depend as a hanger, or-otherwise, as may be required, or as the location may necessitate; or in some locations block or fastener, F, Fig. 8, is employed, by

- studscrew or cylindrical screw-stem, f. This mits of being fixed by means of its nut n in any fastening of the jack may be dispensed with.

The bearing-block B, Fig. 7, is constructed with a square boss, I), from which its screwstem 1) projects. The square boss is adapted to occupy the slot in the member to which the bearing-block is applied, so as to preclude turning, while the screw-stem 11 receives a clamping-nut, W, with one or more washers. on the opposite side of the member.

To provide for more securely holdingthe outer knee in difi'erent positions than by the clamp-bolt alone, and at the same time to provide a bearing-block or. step which can be used for drilling in some directions-horizontally, for instancea supplemental bearingpreference, the same being furnished with a.

is applied in the slot of the fixed or support ing member, through which the clamp-bolt 0 passes, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, and ad-2 position, or at any angle relatively to the lines of the adjoining members. It may engage; with the end of the outer knee, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, or with one edge of the same, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and may be dispensed with in some cases, as illustrated in- Fig.5. The bearing-blocks are adjustablegv each in one line, in the longitudinal slots through which their stems pass. To provide another adjustment for the drill D withoutloosening the jack, each bearing-block is constructed with a plurality of countersunk centers, :0, arranged in a line transverse to the knee in the case of the main bearing-block B.fl

The drill D maybe of any approved pattern, and forms no part of the present invention. The drilling-jack is designed to be used with any ordinary metal-working ratchet-drill, and with drills of various lengths.

To use the jack, the knees K K are adjusted relatively to each other, as required, and fixed in this position by means of the clamp-bolt G, with or without the fastener F. The bearing block B is then fixed in the proper position on the outer knee K, and one or more of the countersunk centers :1: is used as the bearing or step for the drill D. The drill proper is then adjusted and operated in usual manner.

The following is claimed as new in this invention, namely:

1. A drillingjack composed of a pair of slotted angle-bars or knees, K K united in variable form by means of a clamp-bolt, G, and provided with an adjustable bearing-block or step, B, substantially as herein shown and 'described, for the purpose set forth. 7

2. The combination of the knees K K having longitudinal slots in their respective members, the clamp-bolt 0, having a stem with square and cylindrical portions 0 0 and the fastener F, having a cylindrical screw-stem, f, substantially. as herein shown and described, to provide for joining and securing the outer knee at different anglesrelatively to the other knee, in the manner herein set forth.

* GEO. W. METOALF.

HENRY W. REGAN. Witnesses: i

BENJ'. F. ROMBERGER, W. J. PARSONS. 

